Sarah Burke of Squamish, B.C. jumps to seventh place in the halfpipe final at a FIS Freestyle Ski Halfpipe in Copper Mouintain, Colorado, Friday, Dec. 9, 2011.Mike Ridewood
/ Canadian Freestyle Ski Association

Sarah Burke of Whistler poses with her gold medal after winning the Women's Skiing Superpipe at Winter X Games 13 on Buttermilk Mountain on Jan. 23, 2009 in Aspen, Colo. Burke was seriously injured in a crash in Park City, Utah, on Tuesday at a sponsor's event.Doug Pensinger
/ Getty Images

Sarah Burke of Squamish, B.C. jumps to seventh place in the halfpipe final at a FIS Freestyle Ski Halfpipe in Copper Mouintain, Colorado, Friday, Dec. 9, 2011.Mike Ridewood
/ Canadian Freestyle Ski Association

Sarah Burke of Canada prepares for halfpipe finals as she finished seventh in the FIS Freestyle World Cup at the VISA US Freeskiing Grand Prix on Dec. 9, 2011 in Copper Mountain, Colo.Doug Pensinger
/ Getty Images

Sarah Burke of Whistler takes first place during the FIS Freestyle World Cup Men's and Women's Halfpipe on March 20, 2011 in La Plagne, France.Christophe Pallot
/ Agence Zoom/Getty Images

Sarah Burke of Whistler celebrates as she wins the gold medal in the women’s Skiing Superpipe at Winter X Games 13 on Buttermilk Mountain on Jan. 23, 2009 in Aspen, Colo.Doug Pensinger
/ Getty Images

Whistler’s Sarah Burke competes during French women's freestyle superpipe World Cup, and the Globe de Cristal 2011, on March 20, 2011, in La Plagne, French Alps.Jean-Pierre Clatot
/ Getty Images

Sarah Burke arrives at The 2011 ESPY Awards at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on July 13, 2011 in Los Angeles.*
/ Getty Images

Sarah Burke of Canada skis to seventh place in the halfpipe finals of the FIS Freestyle World Cup at the VISA US Freeskiing Grand Prix on Dec. 9, 2011 in Copper Mountain, Colo.Doug Pensinger
/ Getty Images

Related

Pioneering Whistler halfpipe freestyle skier Sarah Burke is in critical condition in a coma following a crash in Park City, Utah, on Tuesday.

Burke, 29, was training on Park City Mountain Resort’s “Eagle Superpipe” in the early afternoon when she suffered a head injury following a landing, witnesses said.

“Apparently she landed on her feet at the bottom of the pipe and then kind of bounced on to her head,” said Canadian Freestyle Ski Association CEO Peter Judge, who heard accounts from athletes at the scene.

“It didn’t look like it was a real stunner of a fall, but obviously it was one of those ones where she hit just right and it was more pointed than it appeared.”

Park City Mountain Resort mountain patrol stabilized her at the scene and then transported her to base patrol, said Andy Miller, the resort’s communications manager.

“From there, she was flown to a hospital in Salt Lake City,” he said.

Judge said the severity of her injury is not yet known.

“The thing with head injuries, and even comas, is that they can be very deceiving,” Judge said. “A coma could be something that’s quite mild, and you come out of in a certain period of time, or it can be significant. At this point, it’s pretty speculative to try and pin exactly what it is, or what the implications of it are.”

It is the same superpipe where snowboarder Kevin Pearce was severely injured during training on Dec. 31, 2009. Pearce suffered traumatic brain injuries but recovered and returned to riding on snow last month.

As of late Tuesday, Burke’s husband, skier Rory Bushfield, and Burke’s mother were trying to arrange travel to Salt Lake City.

“Sarah is a very, very strong human and she will be fine,” Bushfield said.

Burke, a native of Midland, Ont., is a pioneer in women’s freestyle skiing and a trailblazer in getting women’s ski superpipe into the X Games, at which she is a four-time winner.

She was also instrumental in getting the superpipe into the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, where she is expected to contend for a gold medal if she is healthy.

A few weeks before the 2010 Olympics, while she was still struggling to get her sport included, Burke said in an interview with The Associated Press that it was frustrating to be on the outside looking in.

I think we’re all doing this, first off, because we love it and want to be the best,” Burke said. “But I also think it would’ve been a great opportunity, huge for myself and for skiing and for everyone, if we could’ve gotten into the Olympics. It’s sad. I mean, I’m super lucky to be where I am, but that would’ve been pretty awesome.”

Burke was named 2007’s Best Female Action Sports Athlete at that year’s ESPY Awards.

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